Top Truck Challenge 2015: A Sneak Peek At The Frame Twister

The Frame Twister is the second of the seven events in Top Truck Challenge (TTC). We’re often told by competitors that the Frame Twister is one of the TTC events they fear the most. Typically, the course is only approximately 200 feet long, but it’s a chaotic, non-stop collection of obstacles. The clock begins ticking when a competitor leaves the start line and they’re soon immersed in the gigantic boulders of the Squeeze Rock section. These boulders are strategically placed to create the most mayhem. Suspension travel, traction, sacrificial bodywork and luck are often the players in this section. And that’s just the beginning. There’s often a hole and then a water hazard to further confound the competitors before they come face-to-face with the infamous log section. This section typically has six strategically placed logs that are perpendicular to the direction of travel. Also typically, there is a deep, water-filled abyss between each log. Like the Squeeze Rock boulders, the logs are placed to nab tires. In the past, many competitors have taken the strategy of tiptoeing through the boulders and then hitting the logs with speed in an effort to power to the finish line. When power fails, they often rely on their winch to tug them through. The log section is well known for its destruction of driveline parts and tires as the vehicles go airborne in an attempt to continue moving forward.

Typically, competitors are given 10 minutes to complete the course. If a vehicle gets stuck or suffers run-ending breakage prior to the finish line, we mark it where it stopped. Cones mark the boundaries and the competing vehicle must not hit or travel outside of a cone. Penalties await if they do.

We often tweak the Frame Twister from year-to-year to keep things interesting. Or maybe we don’t. Competitors won’t know until they hit the course.